GETTING TO MORECAMBE

The Iron and its fantastic travelling support face an approximate 240-mile round trip to the west coast for the 43rd game of the season, when Morecambe are the opponents on Good Friday.

The Shrimps are yet to secure their League Two status for next season and Jim Bentley’s men will certainly be looking for three points to avoid an end-of-season relegation scrap.

The Lancashire club play at the Globe Arena and are managed by Jim Bentley, who has been at the club since 2002. He joined as a player, playing 329 games as a defender and made the step up as manager in 2011 after the departure of Sammy Mcllroy.

When Morecambe visited Glanford Park in December, they left Lincolnshire pointless after a first-half double from Deon Burton gave the Iron a 2-0 victory, taking us to third, on 37 points, behind Chesterfield and Oxford.

That result was the only time the Iron have ever played Morecambe, so Friday’s trip will be our first to the club and Globe Arena.

Globe Arena…
The £12 million state-of-the-art arena opened in 2010 after they left Christie Park. Globe Construction built the ground, hence the name. The ground, and the town of Morecambe, is situated north of Blackpool and south of Kendal and nearby Lancaster, five minutes from the historic town.

The ground can hold just under 6,500 fans at full capacity, with only around 2,173 seats.

The main stand is the Peter McGuigan stand and it runs along side the length of the pitch. It is named after the current chairman after his years of service to the club and this stand houses the changing rooms, directors’ lounge and the boxes. It is an all-seated, 2,200 capacity stand.

Behind one of the goals is the Omega Holidays Stand, named after its sponsor. This is where the atmosphere is generated mostly by the fans and opposite the Peter McGuigan stand is the Open Terrace which also runs alongside the length of the pitch and it can hold around 600 standing home spectators.

The final stand is at the other end of the pitch, behind the goals and this is the Bay Radio Stand, named after the sponsors-their local radio station. This accommodates up to 1,389 standing away supporters with good condition toilets, refreshments and space on the terrace.

The club’s official matchday programme can be purchased for £3.00 and there is a nearby Toby Carvery, Wetherspoons and pubs with coverage of Sky Sports.

Getting there…
The journey to the west coast will take around two and a half hours each way, so give yourself plenty of time with enough time to stop on the way too. Be sure to fill up, with the venture taking around twenty six pounds’ worth of petrol each way.

Departing from Glanford Park, take the first exit at the roundabout by Tesco’s onto Doncaster Road, then continue to the next roundabout, taking the first exit again onto the M181, heading towards Humber Bridge/Doncaster/M180.

Keep right at the fork, following signs for Doncaster/M180 before merging onto the M180.

After around 12.3 miles, take the third exit onto the M18 ramp heading towards M62/Goole/Hull/Leeds.

You will merge onto the M18 after less than half a mile and then onto the M62 6.7 miles later.

Stay on the M62 for 60.9 miles and continue onto the M60 for four miles. Exit at junction 15 onto the M61, towards M6 N/Preston/Wigan/Bolton and stay on there for a further 21 miles.

Take the exit onto the M6 and continue for M6 and after six miles, keep right and stay on the M6 for a further 19 miles after that.

Exit at junction 34, taking the A683 exit to Lancaster/K’by Lonsdale/Morecambe/Heysham and after 0.2 miles, turn right onto Caton Rd/A683, continuing on the A683. After three miles, you will reach a roundabout and take the third exit onto Morecambe Rd/A589, going straight on at the next roundabout and take the first exit a mile later, turning onto Westgate.

After 1.3 miles, you will reach Globe Arena on your right-hand side.

Getting Parked…
The club’s official car park is permit holders only so it is a case of finding a space on the streets in the surrounding areas. You may be in luck if you continue along Westgate past the stadium, on the other side of the railway bridge there is plenty of street parking to be had in the side roads on either side. There should be space within a ten minute vicinity from the complex.